Lilyanna met his gaze for a long moment.
The irritation on her cosmic face he had grown used to receded. She drew in a breath through her nose, then released it slowly.
"So be it."
Light shifted around Quinlan's body. The lattice beneath him adjusted, lifting him just enough that the strain vanished entirely from his spine. Warmth pressed inward again, deeper this time, threading through nerves and muscle with deliberate pressure.
"You released the corruption seed," Lilyanna began untangling his long question as she worked. "You pushed it outward, letting it ravage your body in exchange for a chance to strike a divine being. The gamble was immensely risky, and, to put it plainly, dumb as well."
"Thanks," Quinlan smiled.
"…" Her fingers traced lines along his chest, sealing internal scarring left by recoil. Each pass left him steadier than before.
